Now that we're getting into the second half of August, it's the the time of year when we really start to monitor the far eastern Atlantic for budding tropical waves that could potentially develop into tropical storms or hurricanes.

Now that we're getting into the second half of August, it's the the time of year when we really start to monitor the far eastern Atlantic for budding tropical waves that could potentially develop into tropical storms or hurricanes.

The way people die is changing, or at least what happens after they die is. Cremations are rapidly becoming more popular across the country and especially in Florida. It's why one state representative wants to do away with a fee counties charge for cremations.

Nowhere is the boom in cremations more prevalent than Mullins Memorial in Cape Coral.

"My business right now is about 85 percent cremation," owner Shannon Mullins said.

Mullins has a furnace in the back of his small office he said is used about 40 times a month. He pressed the button to raise the metal door and shows off what the interior looks like.

"As you can see, it's really clean and meticulously maintained at all times," Mullins said.

She said the reason more and more people are choosing cremations is mostly the same: the cost.

"As a rule of thumb, cremation is going to be substantially less expensive versus burials," Mullins said.

But in one way, cremations are more expensive than burials. Many county governments in Florida charge a fee to authorize cremations that help fund the local medical examiner's office.

In Lee County, that fee was just $25 in 2004. In 2015, every county commissioner voted in favor of increasing the fee from $45 to $50.

"Why should you have to pay a fee or death tax when you die?" asked State Representative Kenneth Roberson.

Roberson is sponsoring a bill in Tallahassee that would do away with the county fee. In 2014, Lee County collected $195,830 in cremation fees.

Charlotte County and Collier County do not collect fees. The budgets for the district medical examiner's in those counties is provided from the general fund.

Roberson said that's another reason why the fee is not fair.

"It supplements their budget. This is not a big thing in their budget," Roberson said.

NBC2 reached out to multiple medical examiners across Florida regarding Roberson's bill and did not get a response.

The Florida Association of Counties opposes Roberson's bill and in a statement, a spokesperson said, "For the legislature to step in and arbitrarily eliminate a county's ability to fund necessary services violates the fundamental principle of home rule."

Mullins said he understands why counties charge a fee but believes the dollar amount might be getting out of hand.

"I think there should be a modest increase. I mean, the cost of living increase is generally at 3 percent. Have we been going up at 3 percent? I'd say it's a little more than that," Mullins said.